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Superman could have prevented all this. And this is truly just the beginning of the Dark Times.
Superman (Volume 6) #22 is an issue of the series Superman (Volume 6) with a cover date of March, 2025. It was published on January 22, 2025.
Synopsis for "Blast From The Past"
Superman and Superwoman fly up to the Aftermath's flagship. Their leader insists that they come in peace and invites them on board to talk, apologising for their undiplomatic approach. Superman recognises the ship as from Calaton, a world devastated by Doomsday and one of the places he and Superman fought in the past. Superman tells the Aftermath leader that he kept his promise to the Calatonians by stopping Doomsday, but the Aftermath leader replies that it's only a matter of time before Doomsday breaks free and offers to take the creature away from Earth. Lois advises that they listen and the Aftermath leader says that if Superman gives them Doomsday he can live the rest of his life without fear of Doomsday, but also threatens that if he doesn't the Aftermath will attack Earth and people will die. Superman still demands to know what they will do with Doomsday, warning that they can't kill him as he will just come back stronger.
The Aftermath leader only replies that Doomsday will be "put to good use". Lois says that if they are refusing to tell them, then that is the most critical information. Superman refuses to hand over Doomsday and the Aftermath leader unmasks to reveal that he is Radiant, an artificial energy being who killed Doomsday before. Aftermath soldiers charge in to attack the Super-couple and Radiant flies away. Superman chases after him, realising he's going after Doomsday. Lois calls Supergirl, who is in Supercorp guarding Doomsday, and tells her that things went exactly as they thought they would.
Lena Luthor is working on a mobile stasis unit so they can relocate Doomsday and Lex bemoans that he can't help as he doesn't have his memories. Suddenly he has a flashback to working with Brainiac on the Skull Ship and says he knows what he needs to do. He asks for access to one of his old labs, but before he can do anything else Radiant smashes through the wall and blasts Supergirl away. Superman flies in after him and yells at him to stop, but Radiant blasts the containment tank and sends Doomsday flying out of the building to the ground below. The Aftermath soldiers descend on the city to find him.
Lois searches the city for Superman and finds him in the throes of a Red-K induced rage fighting Radiant and the Aftermath alongside Doomsday. Nearby, Jimmy Olsen sees Superwoman in the sky and has Silver Banshee carry him up so he can try to get a picture of her. Radiant sees them and blasts at them to punish Superman for defying him. Lois races the energy blast to save them but can't reach them in time. Just as the blast is about to hit time freezes around her and the Time Trapper appears. He asks her is she is willing to do what is needed to save the future.
Appearing in "Blast From The Past"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Alice White
- Jimmy Olsen
- Perry White
- Silver Banshee (Siobhan Smythe)
- Supercorp
- Lena Luthor II
- Lex Luthor (Flashback and main story)
- Mercy Graves
- Super-Family
Antagonists:
- The Aftermath (First full appearance)
- Radiant (Real identity revealed) (First full appearance)
- Brainiac (Flashback only) (Cameo)
Other Characters:
- Doomsday
- Time Trapper/Doomsday (Unknown Future) (Cameo)
- Julius Caesar (Deceased) (Mentioned only)
Locations:
- Earth 0
- Earth
- United States of America
- Metropolis
- Supercorp Tower
- Daily Planet (Mentioned only)
- Metropolis
- United States of America
- Calaton (Mentioned only)
- Earth
Items:
- Black Mercy (Behind the scenes)
- Bottled cities (Flashback only) (Cameo)
- Jimmy Olsen's Camera
- Kinetic Hammer (Cameo)
- Red Kryptonite (Behind the scenes)
- Steel's Armor (Cameo)
Vehicles:
- Aftermath warships
- Brainiac's Skull Ship (Flashback only) (Cameo)
Events:
- Superman: House of Brainiac (Flashback only) (Cameo)
Concepts:
Notes
- This issue carries the legacy numbering Superman #865.
- Although it was previously implied in issue #20, this story confirms that the events of Superman/Doomsday: Hunter/Prey (Volume 1) also occurred in the history of Earth 0 following the "unknotting" of the timeline at the end of the last Metal War.
See Also